As mentioned in my posts about my singlespeed, I used TRP’s Hylex brakes. A little bit about them. They were originally created to work as a hydraulic option for Shimano’s earlier Di2 systems, but when Shimano came out with the new e-tube system it became too complicated, so they kept the Hylex around to be an option for singlespeed builds. They actually still have the ports in them, but no shifters.

Installation is a little tricky at times. The hoses were much too long for my 52cm frame, and they attach with a banjo bolt at the lever, which cannot be redone according to my instructions.

Detaching the nut and cutting the hose is the easy part, where installing and bleeding can be annoying. The main issue I ran into was the syringe did not have a hose the right size to attach to the caliper, so it would leak, and the instructions said to use a bag at the lever. I followed this process for my front brake, but changed it when I warrantied the rear.

When I did warranty the rear brake, because the bolt was stuck and twisted out ford wrench, TRP was very easy to work with. I called and within 5 minutes they had my information and were sending me a new brake.

The down side of this was that I had to cut and install the hose again. Once installed, I used a slightly different bleed procedure. Instead of the bag, I filled a syringe part way with mineral oil, pushed fluid from the bottom and then from the top while holding the top syringe perpendicular to the reservoir.

While the syringe had a seal problem, this method did work better than the previous method I used. Both brakes have a firm stop, without the mushy feel I get from some of the non-series Shimano brakes I also considered when beginning this build.

One of the many surprising benefits I found from using these is that I enjoy the feel of the shifter hoods. The bars I have are a bar made for women from Bontrager and have a shorter reach than what I like, so these being a slightly longer hood shape benefits me. Another detail that is not necessarily something that would impact the usefulness of the brake is the holes in the levers. They look really cool in certain light.

My overall opinion is that they are great, but TRP needs to work on simplifying their bleed procedures in the future. I could bleed a shimano brake without thinking about it, but I can’t do the same with TRP.

Riding these I see no issues. I have them set perfectly for a feel when my hands are on the hoods, and the stopping reminds me of Shimano’s Ultegra r8000 hydraulic brakes, which is my standard when working on hydraulic road brakes. I got TRP two-piece rotors as well, mainly for aesthetics, and after burning them in they work perfectly for what I need.

My name is Alex, and I am a cyclist, triathlete, bicycle mechanic, swim coach, and accounting student. I write about my experiences working on bikes and the places I ride and train, while also working to manage being a full time accounting student. My hope is to share information that is both useful and entertaining for cyclists and triathletes through my blog, as well as my Youtube channel.